Foundation for signal-poles and the like.



P. H. T. POTTER.- EOUNDATION FOB SIGNAL POLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 27, 1909.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910. w

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1 F. H. T. POTTER.

FOUNDATION FOR SIGNAL POLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1909.

Patented Dec. 13,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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FRANK H. T. POTTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOUNDATION FOR SIGNAL-POLES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 27, 1909.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 535,019.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. T. Po'rrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foundations for Signal-Poles and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a foundation for signal po es and the like for use along railroad rights of way where difliculty is encountered in firmly setting such poles, due to the fact that the slopes of railroad embankments are subject to more or less shifting when they settle, es-

where the scarcity of water renders the making of concrete costly, or the quality of water renders the concrete unsatisfactory; and also for use in locations where the handling of large and heavy blocks of stone, concrete, or other material is diflicult or expensive.

The foundation to which this invention relates is made in sectional form, and has as an object to overcome the above enumerated difficulties.

It is customary to run a ground wire down each signal or other pole adjacent to it and to bury the wire in the ground near the foot of the pole in any suitable manner. It is found that the above mentioned settling movement of such poles causes these ground wires to be pulled away from the poles near their base, and frequently to be broken off.

Another object of the invention is to overcome this difliculty due to the settling of the poles.

Further objects will appear from a detailed description of the invention, which consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a foundation built up of sectional blocks in the preferred manner, and located on the side of a railway or other embankment; Fig. 2, a cross section of such foundation, showing the manner in which the several sections are firmly secured together by means of grouting, and showing the location of the ground wire in the foundation;'Fig. 3, a perspective of one of the sectional blocks; Fig. 4;, a perspective of a base block, showing also in dotted lines the preferred form of hole for passing the ground wire through the base block; Fig. 5,

] a perspective of one type of cap stone; and

Fim 6 blo ck.

The foundation comprises a series of blocks 7, of approximately rectangular shape, adapted to fit together and have their lower portions set within a base block 8. For this purpose the base block is preferably provided with a recess 9, so as to present in its upper portion squared faces 10. The blocks 7 are preferably provided with flat portions 11 for setting squarely against the faces 10, and are each provided, in one corner, with a locking groove 12, so that a cross section through the base I when set together these locking grooves will pecially when new; also for use 1n locations match and form an opening of cross section similar to that of a Maltese cross, as shown in Fig. 2. The blocks are preferably formed so that their contacting faces will not abut squarely'together in their central portions, but will have slight recesses 13 between them, as shown in Fig. 2. The base block 8 is provided on its central portion with a conical hole 14, through which a ground wire 15 may be passed, the larger portion of the hole being in the lower side of the base block.

For attaching the signal or other pole to the foundation, I prefer to provide each block with a foundation bolt 16, which may be cast into the block, if it is made of concrete or similar material, or which may be properly inserted thereinto in case the block is of stone.

In certain cases it is desirable to place a cap stone over the foundation blocks before setting the pole. In this case a stone such as 17 of Fig. 5 may be used, the foundation bolt holes 18 being of suflicient size to permit slight adjustment in placing the cap stone. The pole may then be attached to the cap stone in any suitable manner, as, for instance, allowing the bolts 16 to project tlniough the cap stone into the base of the In building up a foundation of these blocks, the base block is first properly set and leveled up in the correct location. If it is desired to carry down a ground wire from the signal or other pole which is to be located on the foundation, the hole for this wire may be drilled into the earth through the hole 14 of the base block by means of an auger or in any desired manner, and the ground wire and ground plate attached to it I with the sides 10 of the recess of the base block. WVhen this grouting has hardened, it is seen that the blocks Will be held firmly together and will constitute practically a monolithic foundation.

It will be seen that in practice the blocks of this foundation may be made of concrete or stone or any other suitable material, and that they may be made of any standard sizes desirable, according to the service to which they are to be put. Furthermore, when thus made in sections, each block may be of a size and weight to facilitate transportation, thereby greatly lessening the cost of handling, and enabling their use in locations where large blocks cannot be used; also, when the blocks are made of concrete, the necessary forms for molding them may be setup in any desired location where materials can be easily and cheaply obtained, and where the cost of their manufacture will be a minimum.

I do not wish to restrict the scope of my invention to the use of four blocks. Evidently the foundation could be made of any number of properly shaped blocks suitably arranged to fit together and provided with means for inlocking them into a monolithic whole. Also, the slot in each block may be of any suitable shape, so that the several blocks will be held together when the cement is poured into the locking space formed by the slots. Neither do I wish to restrict my invention t9 a ground hole of the shape shown, as one of any desired shapemight be used.

I claim:

1, In a foundation for signal poles and the like, the combination of blocks of foun- V dation material, having on their inner p0r tions longitudinal locking recesses for receiving locking material, as cement, and provided on their upper portions with bolts for attaching a superstructure to them, and

a base block having in its-upper face a re-c cess for receiving the lower portions of the foundation blocks, and provided on itsinner portion with a hole in communication scribed. V

2. In a foundation for signal poles and the like, the combination of blocks of foundation material, provided on their inner portions with looking grooves for receiving locking material, as cement, and adapted on with a locking groove, substantially as de a ceiving locking material, as cement, and

provided on their upper portions with means for atttaching a superstructure to them, and a base block having in its upper face a recess for receiving the lower portions of the foundation blocks, substantially as described.

FRANK H. T, POTTER.

Witnesses:

FRANCES M. FROST, THos. A. BANNING, Jr. 

